A 48-YEAR-OLD woman said to be killing herself through drink was given a final chance to change her life.

Blackburn magistrates heard Angela Craig went shoplifting to raise money to fund her addiction.

Craig, of Clayton Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to seven charges of shoplifting. She was sentenced to four months in prison suspended for 12 months and made subject to an alcohol treatment order for 12 months. She was also ordered to pay £385 compensation to Debenhams.

Richard Prew, defending, said it 'beggared belief' that the police kept bailing his client setting her up to fail.

"She is a chronic alcoholic and I would like to say she is slowly drinking herself to death," said Mr Prew. "Sadly she isn't, she's doing it rather quickly. She goes shoplifting purely to buy alcohol."

He said Craig lived with other alcoholics and when they ran out of drink she went out stealing.

"If she continues to live where she is she may not see the end of the year, it's that sad and it's that stark," said Mr Prew.